Cutting Edge Social Ministries:
The Future of Community Witness(AM-636)CANCELLED

Churches, Mosques and Synagogues impact their communities and build membership strength through a wide variety of creative, contemporary ministries of care, justice and transformation. Through readings, research, field trips and conversations with leaders we examine examples of congregations and collaborations, including the shift in evangelical and mega churches from personal values to public issues; the range of creative Catholic ministries that flourish “outside the box;” impact of Islam in community ministries; Interfaith initiatives for social legislation; web-based organizing to challenge policies of torture; cultural arts as a weapon for justice; re-tooling mainline churches for 21st century ministry; and family mentoring and investing in the Black Community. We will visit these ministries on site at the regular class time, except for three special events that are optional with alternative assignments. We will examine how these ministries started, who keeps them going, where they get support, and what is their influence on the community and in the lives of congregations and their members. Carl Dudley, Faculty Emeritus in Church and Community

Meeting
Day, Time and Dates:
Wednesdays from 9:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. starting January 30th

8. Using the web as a weapon to “speak truth to power:” how Reclaiming the Prophetic Voice challenges policies of torture with John Humphries (action event)

Five additional class sessions at Hartford Seminary will provide background materials and an overview of the field to keep these particular ministries in perspective. The class may be taken for credit or audit, but participants should be able to use the internet for research and sharing materials.